Feeding means for sheets.



P'. KRUSE.

FEEDING MEANS FOR SHEETS.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 1?. I9I5- Patented Sept. 14 1915.

\ INVENTOR By Aitome s, W g

ffwlmlassm iuiaa ie ,v

rnrnn mess, on NEW YORK, 1i. Y., nssreno'n T0 E. w. Buss CQMPA I new YORK, A CORPORATION or wnsr VIRGINIA;

I To all whom tat-mar) concern."

Be it known that 1, PETER Know, a citizen of the United States of America,.residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve-.

ments in Feeding Means for Sheets, of which-the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to means for feed ing sheets, more particularly sheets of metalto sheet working machines, and aims to rovide improvements therein.

eretofore sheets'have been fed from a 1 I hopper to a sheet Working machine by a suc-' tion device which separates-or spaces a sheet in the hopper from the other sheets therein, the spaced or separated sheets being .fed

fromthe hopper by means of a reciprocatsheets directly from the hopper. Moreover the sheet is fed flat from the hopper, bend-.

ing and'disto'rtion thereof being avoided.

K An embodiment of the invention is illus'-' trated in the accompanying drawing, reference to which drawing is made for azfurther' and more detailed description ofthe invention.

In said drawing, Figure l'illustrates aplan view of the feeding means together: with parts of a metal working machme to which the feeding means may be applied.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section,

of theparts shown'in Fig. '1.

sectional detail view of the suction device.

In said drawings, the letter A designates a suitable table or bench forming the frame v .of the machine.

B .B- designate one or more feed bars working in suitable guide-Ways in the top face of the table A, the .feed bar or bars being preferably attached to a slide block or pleoe C, and adapted to be reciprocated by a suitable means, as for instance, a train: of

links and lovers 6, 12 ,6? connected to a crank pin 6 upon a disk I), mounted upon a main driving shaft I 1 E designates a suction .device which is preferably mounted upon and reciprocates Specification of LetterslPatei t. I Patmnihe Application filed April '17, 1915. seri l No. 21,9c7.

hereinafter explained.

Fig. 3 is a frnnnme MnANsnon'sHEErs,

d Sept. ML, 1915.,

,ijor nnooxnm,

with the feed bar or bars B B. -The suction device E preferably comprises a suction cup e carried by a short plunger "6 :inounted" in a blocker socket 1e. -A shoulder on the.

plunger 6 limits the" movement of the plun- 1 ger in the socket e .to a small amount. The

blocker socket e may] be connected to the.

reciprocatory feed bars by means of an arm or slide (2 forming an extension of the slide block 0. The suction device E is adapted to operate at the underside of any suitable hopper H.

The sheets of metal X res t on ledges [t at the bottom of the hopper, the upper faces of which are preferably flush withthe up-- per face of the table A. Strips It may also be provided. A plate or arm k is arranged at the front of theihopper and its loweredge is spaced from the upper faces of the" strips itabout the distance of the thickness 7 5 of a sheet of metal, so that but one sheet may be slid outfrom the underside of the hopper at a time, y the suction device,- as

Any suitable. means for establishing a vacuum or rarefication-in the suction devicemay be employed. --Preferably, a suction pump J, which is driven by the machine, is provided, this p p being connected to the suction device by a-tube j.

A cam, or other suitable means K is preferably provided for raising the suction device'into contact with a sheet at the under-' gitudinal reciprocation of the suction de .vice.

Thecanf Wheel 1K carries a cam or face is which engages tlfe plunger 6 of the suction device when the suction device isat rest, or substantially at rest beneath the hopperpand thereby pushes the suction de-' vice into contact with'the underside of a sheet in the hopper. I

e? designates a stop upon the machine, which is preferably employed for striking The cam K is preferably formed;

the stem of a valve 6 on the suction device E for breaking the vacuum therein at the desired time. I

Operation: When the suction device E is at the rearward limit of its reciprocation,

. and at rest or substantially at rest, the cam of the sheets,

face 79 on the cam wheel K comes into contact with the end of the plunger e of the suction device and presses the suction cup" 0 into contact with a sheet at the underside of the pile of sheets in the hopper. A rarefication existing at this time in the tube 9', a suction or rarefication is present in the vacuum cup, and the sheet with which the cup is in contact, is held firmly thereto. Upon the forward movement of the suction device the sheet is slid flatwise transversely out of the hopper into a position X on the bench or table in front of the hopper. When the sheet reaches the position X the stem 6 strikes the stop 6 and the vacuum is broken, and the suction device falls by its own .weight from the underside of the sheet, thus leaving the sheet in the position X The suction device is thereupon carried back to its initial position beneath the hopper, being brought into contact with a sheet at the underside of the stack in the hopper by the cam wheel K, as heretofore explained. As the suction device E moves back to a position beneath the hopper, a

grip finger 6 carried by the reciprocatory bar or bars B comes into contact or engagement with the rear face of the sheet in the position X and advances it upon the next reciprocation of the reciprocatory bars.

Suitable stops 6 may be provided for preventing rearward movement of the sheets. 6 designates one or more longitudinal strips adapted to bear upon the upper sides I to prevent displacement thereof. v

The plunger of the pump J preferably makes one reciprocation for each reciprocation of the suction device, and is provided with a port j which is adapted tobe uncovered by the piston on, its down stroke at substantially the same time that the suction device reaches the forward end of its reciprocation. The down stroke of the pump plunger begins, and-the suction is initiated, slightly before the suction device reaches the rearward end of its reciprocation.

The inventive idea may receive other embodiments than that herein illustrated and specifically described.

What is claimed is 1. A sheet feeding means, comprising means for separating a sheet directly from the underside of a stack in the direction of the plane of the sheet, said means comprising a suction device adapted to contact with the underside of a sheet in a stack, and means for moving said suction device in the direction of the plane of the sheet, said suction device, when moved, exercising a tractive effect on the sheet.

2. A sheet feeding means, comprising means for separating a sheet directly from the underside of a stack in the direction of the plane of the sheet, said means comprising a hopper, a suction device adapted to contact with the underside of a sheet in a stack in the hopper, and means for moving said suction device in the direction of the plane of the sheet, said suction device, when moved, exercising a tractive effect on the sheet.

3. A sheet feeding means, comprising means for separating a sheet directly from the underside of a stack in the direction of the plane of the sheet, said means comprising a hopper, a suction device adapted to contact with the underside of a sheet in a stack in the hopper, means for moving said suction device in the direction of the plane of the sheet, said suction device, when moved, exercising a tractive effect on the sheet, and means for preventingmore than one sheet passing out of the hopper at a time.

4. A sheet feeding means, comprising means for separating a sheet directly from the underside of a stack in the direction of the plane of the sheet, said means comprising a suction device adapted to contact with the underside of a sheet in a stack, means for moving said suction device in the direction of the plane of the sheet, said suction device, when moved, exercising a tractive effect on the sheet, and means for moving said suction device into contact with the sheet.

5. A sheet feeding means, comprising means for separating a sheet directly from the underside of a stack in the direction of the plane of the sheet, said means comprising a suction device adapted to contact with the underside of a sheet in a stack, and a reciprocating feed bar for moving said suction device in the direction of the plane of the sheet, said suction device, when moved, exercising a tractiveefi'ect on the sheet.

6. A sheet feeding means, comprising means for separating a sheet directly from the underside of a stack in the direction of the plane of the sheet, said means 'comprising a suction device adapted to contact with the underside of a sheet in a stack, means for moving said suction device in the direction of the plane of the sheet, said suction device, when moved, exercising a tractive effect on the sheet, and means for breaking the suction in said suction device.

7. A sheet feeding means, comprising a hopper, a suction device, a rotary cam for moving said suction device into 'contact with the underside of a sheet on the underside of sheet transversely for removing the sheet timed to act upon said suction device at from the hopper. v about the time the suction device is at the 8. A sheet feeding means, comprising a rearward end of'its reciprocation. hopper, a suction device, a rotary cam for In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed 5 moving said suction device into contact with my name in the presence of two subscribing 15 the underside of a sheet on the underside Witnesses.

of a stack of sheets in the hopper, and a I PETER KRUSE. reciprocatory feed bar for moving said suc- Witnesses: tion device and attached sheet transversely GUSTAV'E R. THoMPsoN,

m from the hopper, said rotary cam being FRED WHITE, 

